The 29-year-old former Pueblo man accused of a brazen armed robbery at a posh Las Vegas casino pleaded not guilty today.

Prosecutors say Tony Carleo was the man disguised in a motorcycle helmet who pointed a gun at a dealer, collected $1.5 million in chips and fled on a motorcycle waiting outside the Bellagio casino in the early morning hours of Dec. 14.

Carleo, the son of a prominent Las Vegas judge, is scheduled for trial next January and could spend decades in prison if convicted.

Carleo was staying at the Bellagio when he was arrested by undercover officers on Feb. 2 after he allegedly tried to fence the high-denomination chips, according to his arrest report.

He had tried to sell the chips online, using the name “Biker Bandit,” but a would-be buyer instead alerted the FBI, according to investigators.

Officers recovered $900,000 worth of Bellagio chips from Carleo at the time he was arrested.

A Pueblo South High graduate, Carleo reportedly had lived a high lifestyle in Las Vegas before his arrest.

Police said Carleo lost about $105,000 at the Bellagio in the month after the robbery, including $73,000 on New Year’s Eve. He had been staying at the resort for sometime before his arrest.

He posted on his Facebook page that he was attending school in Las Vegas before his arrest. Public records show Carleo declared bankruptcy in 2009 and lost four Colorado properties to foreclosure in 2008.

He indicated in court records he had received $19,000 from his father over the previous two years and had netted just $552 as a real-estate broker in two years and less than $7,000 in roofing sales.

Surveillance video of the robbery went viral online, and the arrest drew additional publicity because Carleo is the son of Las Vegas Municipal Court Judge George Assad.

After the arrest, Assad released a statement saying he was “devastated and heartbroken” by his son’s arrest.

Joey Bunch has been a reporter for 28 years, including the last 12 at The Denver Post. For various newspapers he has covered the environment, water issues, politics, civil rights, sports and the casino industry. He likes stories more than reports. Tell him if you know one.

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